I'm a little frustrated with Reality Check at the moment. I'm supposed to do a shop for them today, but my family has the neuro virus. I emailed the scheduler to let her know I'm unable to conduct it today, but may be able to do it tomorrow. I've done several shops for them in the past, and always gotten a good score. The scheduler responded by threatening me. She said I would score a 1 on the shop, and have a citation put on my shop log. I've rescheduled and even canceled a few times with other companies, *cough* Marketforce *cough*, and never had an issue. Why is Reality Check being so stinky about it? Where's the empathy? I'd much rather be conducting their shop than home with the flu.

I have never had anything but reasonableness from them. At issue here may be the closeness to the end of the month. Is yours a weekend only shop? If so, doing it tomorrow is not a possibility. If it was last weekend and there could still be a possibility of doing it this weekend the response likely would be different.

Empathy? What about the common sense? Personally, I'm happy you kept your flu cooties at home! It's a shame that Reality Check can't see that.

I am sorry to hear that you have what I believe is Norovirus (not neuro virus). The name comes from Norwalk Virus and is the one that keeps cropping up on cruise ships. I contracted it in India, and it makes Montezuma's revenge seem like a cake walk. I was close to needing to prioritize which end got priority, and had decided to just get in the shower if I needed to handle both ends at once. The good news is that in 2 or 3 days, you are over the worst of it. Then you will realize just how bad you felt!

I suspect that schedulers get any number of "the dog ate my homework" excuses, so they try to take a hard line. If you went to a physician, you could try scanning the receipt and send that to Reality Check to prove that your family is really ill, and send them this Norovirus link to the CDC website as well: [www.cdc.gov]

myst, that sounds brutal. OP, I hope you and your family feel better soon!

Thanks guys. I may be able to get some sort of proof from the doctor. There's a break out in the county, and it's even in the news. Maybe the scheduler will see it. She told me I can do the shop tomorrow, but that they have someone else scheduled already on Tuesday. Sounds to me like it will get shopped at least once before the end of the month, regardless of what I do. Hopefully we'll be feeling better tomorrow, and can get it taken care of.

@Flash wrote:

I have never had anything but reasonableness from them. At issue here may be the closeness to the end of the month. Is yours a weekend only shop? If so, doing it tomorrow is not a possibility. If it was last weekend and there could still be a possibility of doing it this weekend the response likely would be different.

I agree 100%. This was the last weekend of the month and September starts on Thursday. The scheduler probably did not have the luxury of rescheduling.

Believe me, I wish we weren't sick. This flu sucks. I'd rather be doing anything else. Hopefully I can do the shop tomorrow.

I've had an issue with Kerns like this. My dad was in the hospital with blood clots in his legs and lungs, on a quadrupled dose of blood thinner, and my mother doesn't drive due to being legally blind without her glasses... He had DVTs of the leg and pulmonary embolisms in the lung lobes... who makes something like that up??? Anyway the scheduler didn't reply over the course of 4 days, 6 emails, 2 phone calls, and help desk requests but the day after it was due, threatened me with an email and didn't reply when I responded back with copies of all my attempts to contact. I'm pretty sure I have a negative or blacklist on my account because I can't seem to get anything through them now. I have been going directly to Maritz and others myself. Seriously, MSI/Trendsource was sOOOOOOO helpful while we've dealing with dad. It's the second time an issue has came up with clots before they finally proved he has a genetic clotting condition and then there's the rest.... He's had his dad pass away, his radius and ulna broken, the C6 in his neck fractured, he was in a car wreck with mom and I and had a collapsed lung or spontaneous pneumothorax, and now clots again... in the last 2 years. I bet some of these companies think I'm crazy with the stuff I've had occur but it's all honest and I wouldn't care one bit to submit travel info, hospital records, or photographic evidence



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2016 01:26AM by clinen11.

@taitsj wrote:

Thanks guys. I may be able to get some sort of proof from the doctor. There's a break out in the county, and it's even in the news. Maybe the scheduler will see it.

Just curious, what state do you live in? I'll be traveling this weekend so I am hoping I am not going to be in your state. I don't wanna get sick on vacay.

I live in Washington State. I did the shop today, it was horrible. Total fail. I should have canceled it...

@taitsj, sorry to hear that. Total fail because you were still sick? Or total fail due to the shop itself?

Total fail because of the shop itself. I sat there for two hours and was practically ignored the whole time. Took an hour just to get my drink >_<

Hey, I'm in Washington State too. Hope you feel better soon!

Also, just curious, did you schedule through KSS or Reality Check? I've had to reschedule with KSS and never had a problem but I have done shops that were not scheduled with KSS. I've never needed to reschedule those luckily.

@taitsj wrote:

I live in Washington State. I did the shop today, it was horrible. Total fail. I should have canceled it...

I have worked for them in the past, they haven't had jobs in my area for awhile. I never had a problem, but every now and then a shopper has a problem with a report...I usually blame it on the editor. I think this a good solid company.

I scheduled it through KSS. That's a great point. I've had issues with KSS before.

Personally I have never had anything but polite and pleasant professionalism from the folks at Reality Check. On the other hand I have had more than enough rudeness, uncooperativeness and spite from KSS that I just will not accept shops through them. If I can get the shop assigned from the MSC they represent, I will perform the shop and report the shop on the MSC website. I will not do anything at all on the KSS website. If I have a question or issue with a shop I have assigned from the MSC website, I will contact the MSC directly. If their demand is that I must deal with KSS or not play, I won't play. I have a somewhat higher regard for Summit but overall I 100% prefer working directly with the MSC than an outside scheduler intermediary.

@Flash wrote:

Personally I have never had anything but polite and pleasant professionalism from the folks at Reality Check. On the other hand I have had more than enough rudeness, uncooperativeness and spite from KSS that I just will not accept shops through them. If I can get the shop assigned from the MSC they represent, I will perform the shop and report the shop on the MSC website. I will not do anything at all on the KSS website. If I have a question or issue with a shop I have assigned from the MSC website, I will contact the MSC directly. If their demand is that I must deal with KSS or not play, I won't play. I have a somewhat higher regard for Summit but overall I 100% prefer working directly with the MSC than an outside scheduler intermediary.

100% agree, KSS is also difficult for me to work with. I (when I can) go through the MSC.

I'm starting to realize that around the end of the month or the end of what could be a quarter, semester, or half, you get some really anal and angry schedulers, editors, and help desk associates -_-

I find at the end of the month, end of quarter, I get some really awesome bonus offers so it more than makes up for any anal and angry attitudes.

I agree. I love it when they are desperate and I can negotiate payment.

KSS was the one that gave me some serious grieve, ignored 4 emails, 6 days of calls, and various help desk support questions -_- I use the MSC if at all possible. I've gotten to where I don't even want to take shops from KSS unless it's $50 or better and a close drive.